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PC & Dedicated Power Lines Questions

I'm about ready to upgrade my powerlines with dedicated 10awg 20A runs. To see what's in my system, click "system". I have just added a Shunyata Hydra 8, but haven't upgraded it's power cord yet (thought I'd make my own). A little background, I'm a electronic tech and I work on big servo looped systems (CNC mills, stretch presses that are analog feedback). So I know how important it is for good cableing with no noise. Most my power cords are DIY with either 10AWG wire or beldon 83803 with Oyaide P/C-79 connectors. My amps still have the OEM cords for now untill I get my incoming power straightened out.
Question 1) I was going to add 3 incoming lines with 10AWG wire on 20A curcuits off of the same leg or phase. One for each mono amp (might add my soround amps on them too) and a third to power all the front end stuff including a TV. Is this overkill? Should I just plug the hydra in my already supplied 15A line (it has a pass-Seymour outlet) and just add dedicated power for my amps?
Question 2) Power Cords. I just can't beleave the cost of these!! I can get hi quality fine strand 10awg copper twisted 4 conductor cable for free. I also have a bunch of 5 cond 16awg twisted with sheild. I was tempted to make power cords for my amps and Hydra from this and I have made some power strips already with Oyaide and Pass & Seymour outlets (see my system for pic under Oyaide). The Beldon 83803 is a PITA to work with and in my field it is considered cheap cable. I'm suriosly looking at VH Audio Flavor 4 DIY cords with Oyaide connectors. Flovor 4 for amps and Flavor 2 fro my Preamp. I have a sheilded beldon on my CD player now. What are your thoughts?? What PC cord should I use for the Hydra, was going to buy a used Shunyata Python Alpha, but just thinking of making a flavor 4 for it? Sorry for the long post but am curious to opinions. Thanks.
Scott
sgsoundnut

Showing 10 responses by sgsoundnut

sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
Thanks for your opinion. I'll look into Jena Labs outlet, where did you get them. I didn't feel it was overkill, but I talked to someone about it and they thought I was nuts. I was wondering about 2 circuits for the front end, but getting the power up there will be a pain. I sort of have a plan. My panel is in my garage on the same wall I need to run power to upstares. It might be easier to put my outlets in the floor rather then drilling up through my ceieling and floor plates to snake the wire inside the walls. Any input on power cords??
Thanks
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
Interesting on the Hydra comments, I do get lots of power spikes and such from storms in the winter (WA State). I like the insurance of surge protection, but maybe I won't need the hydra which would free up some space. I've heard good things on the Hydra and they seem to sell fast. Thanks for the input and the VH Audio stuff. Not sure if I can pull off 2 lines for the front end being my box would full. But it's a thought worth considering. Thanks.
Scott
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
Thanks for the comments and links. I feel PC can make a big difference but are the results worth some of the $$$ asked for the product being sold. Some of the stuff I see makes me laugh, some of it is just SO cord with a fancy cover and Pass & Seymore plugs from Home Depot!! I'm sure some results can be good some bad from a aftermarket PC. I was looking at Shunyata's Python, I'm sure it's a great cord, but I think I'm drawn in from the bling factor of them more than what it will do. I really don't think you need to spend thousands of dollars on power cords to gain advantages. I've been reading threads about them and I'm skeptical to a point. I do believe you need quality stuff, but I feel there's a limit to their gain for the dollar. Incomeing power is very important I feel, do I need 10 AWG?? Most likely not.. Prabaly # 12 would be fine, but knowing me, I'll run # 10. As for the MOV's, yes this something I have thought about and it's a good idea. I'm glad to hear your opinion. I can get them for free from work...LOL, as we use them allot on our CNC mills and equipment at work. We use clamping diodes allot for noise also on switching gear. Thanks for the comments and keep them coming, always like to learn things and value knowledgeable comments.
Scott
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
Lak, Thanks for the response. I read your reveiws and all the responses. I'm going to order some Porter Ports to try. I'll have to find your thread on your filtration system. I would like to check that out. For fun last night I plugged my amps into my hydra with nothing else plugged into the Hydra but the amps (used as a power strip). I than moved the Hydra power cord to a existing outlet (19 year old original when the house was new). Powered it all up and let everything warm up an hour. I listened to variuos stuff for over an hour (allot of female vocals). I then unplugged the Hydra (still just powering the amps) and moved it to an outlet I upgraded with just a Pass & Semour 5262-AW outlet. I was actually suprised by the difference in sound quality. I upgraded my outlets and made some power strips with the Pass & Semour outlets awahile back.

Psacnli, The Oflex is the sheilded 16 AWG 5 Cond. cable I refered to earlier in my post (though I didn't call it Oflex). I do have some of this and have used it for power strips and power cords I made. I wasn't sure if it was any good but I thought I'd try it. We have allot of it at work on our ABB Hydro Presses. I can't really take allot of it home but we are going to remove a material handleing system from the ABB and there will be a lot of scrap cable. Maybe they will let me take some or I can buy it from our suplus store. I'm not sure if the stuff can be legally run through walls, but it would be a cheap way to run some dedicated lines for my front end stuff (since it has a sheild). So you think this stuff is good to use?? Maybe I'll make a power cord on my CD player and see how it sounds.
Scott
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
I've always agreed with the dedicated lines, but now I wonder what to run as a conductor. The Oflex mentioned above?? I have enough for one run it has a braid sheild and 4 16 AWG conductors with a GND. # 16 is rated @ 10 Amps so I could double them up, (one outlet) and by code you can downsize your ground. This could be for the digital. I can get 10 AWG romex from VH audio that looks just like what Cardus sells. Or just romex from home depot. I do have some 12 AWG (twisted) in metal flex conduit left over from wiring up my shop?? It's going to be a bitch to feed that up from by basement walls ito the wall upstairs.
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
The Hydra is a unique conditioner, it really doesn't have much in circuitry inside it. I know it uses MOV's and it's made in the beutifull state of WA where I live. We have lots of wind storms in the winter sometimes causing major power bumps and sags and outages. I lost my power for almost a week last year. So I hate to have all that $$ gear just plugged in the wall. But we'll see. So are running the Oflex cable in your walls?? I'm curious now if this cable might be a good idea to try. I have about 20' of it now. I'm off all week but when I return to work I'm going to check around and if I can find some laying around.
Scott
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
Larry, thanks for the info and the email. Good stuff. I have been thinking about twisting solid (or stranded) 10 AWG with a drill and doing it that way also. Funny it was my dad that said to do it that way. He say's...LOL.. "in old analog tube computers (early 60's)we would just chuck the wire in a drill and twist it, we couldn't have any noise". What is the UV wire (item 2)? I do have a roll about 20' of that Oflex (mentioned earlier) in 10 AWG 4 cond twisted cable with no shield and 19' of 5 cond #16 with a braid sheild and clear covering over it. Enough for a couple of circuits. I could use stranded in 3/8" metal flex also, it sure beats solid wire for ease of work. I don't know about the cryo stuff that's all new to me. We freeze metal at work in big freezers before we mill it or stretch it (aluminum), it makes it softer and does something about alligning all ...I don't know atoms I guess.. Also bought 3 Porter Ports today from Albert.. I was going to get Wattgates or Oyaides, but I can get 4 ports for one Wattgate.. Any advice about getting it up my walls?? I was going to cut the sheetrock in my basement but to get it upstairs I have to go through allot of space.. Between the ceiling and the upstairs floor and floor plates. It's 2x6 construction, but lots of insulation.
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
I usually unplug things also when the power goes out, but if I'm not home I can't do that. We dodn't have to many problems with lightning. Nothing like the mid west, lightning usually strikes in the mountians here and causes fires. It's the wind. When it gets windy, trees (lots of trees around here)get blown on lines. It's the power bumps from transormers blowing or when the power comes back on that I worry about.

Wow struck by lightning twice??
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
I live along the foothills of the Cascade Mountian Range. There is allot of thick tree growth. When it gets real windy, which for some reason the last couple of years have been bad, it blows trees down, especially if its freezing. Mostly big fir trees, but it takes them down all over the western state. No Tornados though, wow that sounds like you had a close call there. I guess it would be more like a Huricane type of storm that is the worst we get. I just know from my job experience allot of electrical gets taken out due to bumps and surges, especially when the power comes back on and than goes back off. Most power sub stations breakers will trip and then auto reset 3 times before the open up completely. So your electronic stuff gets hamored while the power is cycling. I had a Panamax that would reamin powered off for one minute untill incomeing power was stable. It was a nice feature.
Scott
sgsoundnut OP
17 posts
 
UPDATE: Bought 3 Porter Ports. Went to install one in the outlet my amps are running off of and found a nice surprise. It was a 12 AWG 20A circuit tied to my dishwasher??? Don't know why it was wired like that. I decided I'd do a comparison, the porter (on a 12 AWG 20A circuit) to a Pass & Seymour on a 15A (14 AWG) circuit. I must admit I was skeptical an outlet would make a difference, but was I surprised. I listened for awhile with it in the Pass & Seymour than plugged the amps into the Porter Port and I was shocked. The first thing I noticed was the treble!! Everything seemed clean, than I turned it up with some Peter Gabriel. I couldn’t believe the sub bass output!! I swapped back and forth a few times. It seemed the like I changed the volume level when it was in the porter Port, but I never touched it. It was cleaner clearer sound. I’m sure the 12 AWG wire made some difference too as it is basically a dedicated circuit. These are a must buy for anyone. I will buy more as I have a few home-brewed power strips I made with 10 AWG wire and gold Oyaide (spelling??) connectors. These are a must buy, for $38.00!!!
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